constellr and the EIC Accelerator: Thermal Satellites Turn to Defence

constellr measures the temperature of the Earth's surface from space, for uses it lists as agriculture, climate resilience, infrastructure and urban planning. The company, registered in Munich with an office in Freiburg, builds small satellites with thermal infrared cameras to measure it at high resolution.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,454,397 towards HiVE, a €3.51 million project that ran from December 2022 to July 2025. According to the CORDIS report, it made the mission planning and data systems ready for "a full constellation of satellites", completed a second-generation satellite design and tripled the early-access sales pipeline, then focused on precision farming. constellr launched its SkyBee-1 and SkyBee-2 satellites in January and June 2025 and in February 2026 closed a €37 million Series A, with the EIC Fund among the investors, to take its data to "defence-grade status".

Where constellr Stands Today

The Series A, led by Alpine Space Ventures with Lakestar, aims to expand the constellation and develop next-generation satellites with sub-5-metre resolution for "national governments, military entities, security agencies". Chief executive Max Gulde said: "Sovereign resilience requires understanding real activity on the ground, not just seeing objects." After the second launch, constellr said its two satellites revisit a site every 1.5 days in daytime and also image at night, and ESA lists a third satellite, SkyBee-3, as planned.

The Technology: Taking the Planet's Temperature

The report claims constellr delivers "reliable, high resolution, daily land surface temperature measurements", which existing systems cannot because they revisit only every "approximately 10 days" or measure at "70m to 1km" resolution. It built a customer platform using the STAC standard for data exchange and signed data agreements with Copernicus, DLR and CNES.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

HiVE promised "precise, global temperature data for a growing planet". The report lists a production-ready control system, an upgraded data pipeline, the second-generation satellite design and a tripled early-access programme focused on farming. The satellites themselves launched during the project. The customers named in the 2026 round are defence and security agencies rather than farmers.

1. Constellation-ready ground systemsDeliveredIn production for two satellites.
2. Satellites in orbitDeliveredSkyBee-1 and SkyBee-2, 2025.
3. Commercial pipelineDeliveredTripled, per CORDIS.
4. Follow-on fundingDelivered€37M Series A.

What Has Happened Since the Award

constellr raised a €17 million seed round in July 2023 led by Karista, and the €37 million Series A in 2026 brought total funding to €75 million. The Series A investors include the EIC Fund and Bayern Kapital.

The Money

constellr has not published revenue. The EIC contributed a €2.45 million grant and an undisclosed share of the 2026 Series A.

Why Europe Should Care

constellr gives Europe its own commercial thermal imaging satellites, which its investors now pitch for security and defence. The EIC paid most of the ground and data work behind them and then invested again.

The Verdict

constellr has not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on company statements, trade press and EU project data, linked throughout.